


Lord John and Manoke

by tangentsandbubbles



Category: Lord John Series - Diana Gabaldon, Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:22:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28419057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tangentsandbubbles/pseuds/tangentsandbubbles
Summary: We came across Manoke in the novella "Lord John and The Custom of the Army". Then we hear of him again in Echo when John tells Claire he has had a relationship with Manoke for MANY YEARS. I think we are going to meet Manoke again in Bees.  I guess it just leaves ALOT of room for more fanfic.
Relationships: Lord John Grey/Manoke
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> see notes at the end

Lord John and Manoke

Chapter 1

John leaned over the railing as the ship pulled into Boston harbour. Shouts from the sailors, the creaking of ropes and sails, the smells of food, sewage and woodsmoke, the rattling of chains and shouts from the quayside all assaulted his senses after weeks of the rhythmic swish of the salty sea. He missed William already. But he trusted Hal and Minnie to take good care of him while he was in London. William was joining his cousin Benjamin at school for a term. It was also a time for William to get to know London as well as building a stronger friendship with his cousins and give the boy a sense of family. But he still missed William and couldn’t wait to write letters to him.

John had a diversion to make before he headed back to the plantation at Mount Josiah in Virginia. Hopefully Tom Byrd had everything under control at the plantation. With his master away, Tom would have plenty of time to keep courting Hannah, the seamstress who lived in Lynchburg. John chuckled to himself. Hannah was a cheerful lass who was clearly very fond of Tom, so he would not be surprised if things had moved on by the time he got back. He could sense wedding bells in the air.

In Boston John found an inn where he could refresh himself, adjust to being on land and prepare for his journey north.

He had plenty of time to think on the sea voyage, and considered it was time he returned to Quebec to check on the welfare of the child he left at the mission there. He was paying the mission five pounds a year to care for John Cinnamon, whose Native American mother had died of smallpox and whose father was Malcolm Stubbs. The mission was supposed to write to him each year with a lock of the boy’s hair, and generally they had complied.

John took a stage coach for the journey north to the little town of Gareon on the St Lawrence river on the opposite bank to Quebec city. When he arrived travel weary and feeling grubby, he stepped out of the coach and breathed in the fresh air, with a sense of déjà vu, but the town had changed markedly since he was last here. That was at the time of the battle of Quebec, and was full of soldiers. Now the soldiers were all gone and the town had a quiet gentle bustle. He found an inn with a comfortable bed, a cheerful landlady and the smell of good food wafting up from the kitchen.

The next day he went to find the French mission and see if Father Le Carre was still there. He was, and was delighted to see John again. Father Le Carre took him over to the mission school, where the children were playing in the small yard with wooden swords. He pointed to the boy with thick auburn hair, who was laughing and jostling with another boy as their swords got tangled up. “The boy is happy here,” said Father Le Carre. “Would you like to speak with him?”

“Yes, if you please.” John turned to the priest. “He is not my child you know. I am afraid the boy’s father has neglected his obligations to the child.” The priest nodded, all too familiar with errant fathers.

John sat down with the boy who looked at him curiously. “Are you my father?”

John smiled, ”No.” The boy frowned a little. “But I know your father. His name is Malcolm Stubbs. He was injured badly in the war here. He has a wife and family in England. I have been paying for your care here. I was wondering if you would like to write to me, to my home in Virginia. I can tell you more about him in letters.” The boy nodded. So John gave him a small piece of paper with the address on it, and bade him farewell.

Having set his mind at ease, John wandered down to the rivers edge. There were a number of canoes bobbing up and down at the landing, and his eyes were drawn to a huddled figure sitting in one of the canoes. The man looked thin, with a blanket wrapped around him to keep out the chill coming off the river. John walked onto the landing to get a closer look. “Manoke?”

The man looked up and saw John smiling at him. He returned the smile and joy flooded over his face. “Englishman!!” he said getting up and reaching out his hand to John, who helped haul him out of the canoe and kept his hand closed around the Indian’s thin hand.

“I am so glad to see you again!” said John, but then his brow furrowed. “But you don’t look well my dear friend?”

“No. But I am better for seeing a friendly face,” said Manoke smiling at him. John kept hold of his hand.

“Come with me back to the inn. I will feed you up. You look like you need it.” said John.

John led him back to the inn and they walked into the taproom together, where the landlady looked at the two of them with surprise. “Lord John,” she said nodding at him and glancing at Manoke.

“Two of your best pies and two beers for myself and my guest here, if you please,” said John pleasantly.

The landlady bustled off to get the food.

John and Manoke sat down at a secluded table, and the two beers were slapped down between them.

“Tell me your troubles,” said John, looking directly into Manoke’s eyes.

“I am not a scout any more for the English. They don’t need me any more,” he said.

“So have you gone back to your own people?”

“No. My people don’t want me back.”

“I don’t understand. Why don’t they want you?” asked John.

“I am a Two Spirit.”

“Two Spirit? What is that?” asked John.

“We are….. The Iroquois have more flexibility in how we see a man or a woman. Some of us become Two Spirit people who have a special connection to the spirit world. It’s hard to explain. But the missionaries want to kill the Two Spirit people. So my people have asked me to leave so as not to cause trouble with the missionaries.”

John sat there blinking. He was trying to comprehend what Manoke had said. He looked into Manoke’s face and saw the pained lines around his jaw. “Well, I have told you what the church think about people like us.” John thought to himself about the laws as well. He knew the Indians didn’t treat sodomy as a crime. On impulse he said,” Will you come with me? To my house in Virginia? It’s a long way, but you don’t seem safe here any more.”

Manoke looked at John. He kept silent for quite a long time. He looked uncomfortably around the taproom as a few more people came in.

“Let’s walk together,” he said, already getting up from his chair.

They walked outside and went down towards the river. “I love this place,” Manoke said. “It speaks to me, but so much has been taken from us. Perhaps it is time I journeyed to new places. You have woods there? In Virginia?”

“Yes. Forests. Mountains. The rivers aren’t so big as this, ” said John.

“I grow food. I can look after children. I make carvings. Can I do all those things at your house? “ asked Manoke.

John nodded. “Yes. I have a garden. My foster son is in England but he will be back soon. Can you cook? My valet, Tom is not a very good cook.”

“I cook, yes. Do you want to lie with me again Englishman?”

“Yes, I do,” said John, smiling. “Please, call me John.”

The next morning John met Manoke by the landing again and asked “Do you remember the child you helped me purchase from the family by the river?”

“Yes. John Cinnamon. I go and visit him from time to time. Talk to him about his mother, show him some of our ways.”

John looked at him. ”Good. I will be writing to him, so we can keep in touch with the boy.”

John hired two sturdy horses and they set off together, intending to camp rough and take their time. The late summer weather was kind. They gave the appearance of a wealthy man and his Indian manservant, so attracted little attention on the road. They found a campsite each night, usually by a stream and lit a fire on the banks of the stream as they ate a humble meal of bread and small fish Manoke had caught in the river. Each night they covered themselves in blankets and cuddled together for warmth.

That first night they lay under a starry night with a gentle breeze sighing through the trees. They wrapped their arms around each other and John kissed Manoke, smelling the familiar smell of him from all those years ago. Wild meat, mint, grease and a coppery smell. John’s hands pulled at Manoke’s simple breeches and started stroking his firm skin, muscular and taut. Manoke pulled off John’s small clothes and their naked bodies pressed together, blankets falling away as their bodies warmed. John loved the greasy feel of Manoke’s skin, sliding his hands all over his body. They spoke very little, just sighed and moaned as their heat increased and their hands reached for each other’s cocks, stroking and rubbing each other harder, as their mouths kissed hungrily, wet tongues making a deep connection. John hadn’t lain with a man for a long time, and his body was starving for the touch of this strange yet familiar man. To feel the man’s hands sliding smoothly over his body gave John a feeling of a blissful warmth. He could feel the gentle care of the Indian’s touch on his skin, the tenderness embracing him like a warm blanket. Manoke whispered to him in his own language.

“What does that mean?” asked John.

“just speaking to the spirit of the trees. You hear them rustling in the wind?”

John was aware of the sound, but hadn’t really listened. Manoke had spoken to him all those years ago how spirits lived in all the forms of nature. Manoke was obviously very aware of all the sounds and movements around him, whereas John just wanted to get on with the matter at hand.

John had forgotten Manoke’s tongue. It roamed everywhere, pointed, flat, sucking, gentle then strong. It made his skin tingle into goosebumps as it cooled in the night breeze. John had oil, and started to work open Manoke’s arse, lost in the feel of the man, the hot breath, the smooth skin, mouths kissing, throbbing leaking cocks and Manoke moaning as John moved his fingers. John entered Manoke sliding in easily, and they wormed together, moving faster and more urgently, moaning and panting til John felt himself release with a shudder. They stilled for a moment, breath slowing, before John pulled out, then John could feel Manoke’s hand come around to his arse, gently massaging him and Manoke pulled John onto his side and felt Manoke behind him slowly slide in, smooth and easy to start, pressing further, angling himself to get John groaning with pleasure, John’s backside flush up against Manoke’s lap. Manoke’s pace quickened, smooth and slick, pulling John in, pressing John’s hips closer and harder, hot breath on his back, til he spurted his own release into John.

John turned to pull Manoke into his arms. “Oh Christ, that was so good. You are the most beautiful, intriguing man,” as he kissed him softly. They lay there with slowing breath, and John became aware of the sounds of the night. The water running over rocks and the moan of the wind in the trees. The creak of the branches as they bent back with the wind. The occasional rustle and snapping twig from the creatures that preferred the night.

Manoke chanted softly in his ear, as sleep drifted over them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Manoke settle in at Mt Josiah. Tom Byrd has a problem.

Manoke and John arrived at the Mt Josiah plantation house some weeks later, weary, dusty and saddle sore. John dismounted and walked up the steps, inhaling the fresh air, and closing his eyes with pleasure at being back again. Although technically the place was Williams, he felt, as guardian of the property, it was his to look after for the present time.

He opened the door and saw Tom running into the hallway looking flustered and pulling on his jacket. John heard a door closing at the back of the house.

“Me lord!” cried Tom. “I didn’t expect you back so soon!” as he rushed towards him smiling and bowing. “I’ll fetch your bags,” as he skipped down the steps.

“You remember Manoke? From our time in Quebec?” asked John.

Tom stopped, mouth open. “Yes. Good afternoon Mr Manoke,” his eyes turning to Grey with a question in them.

Manoke bowed and smiled at Tom, his face crinkling with amusement, as he stood there patting the horses.

“Manoke is going to be our cook,” announced John.

“Oh.” Tom looked from one man to the other. “Yes me lord,” as he hauled the last of the saddlebags down onto the porch.

”Come,” said John to Manoke. “Let’s take the horses round to the stables and I’ll show you the cookhouse.”

They walked the horses to the back stable and gave them fresh hay and water.

Then John showed Manoke the cookhouse which was at the back of the main house . It had a brick oven and hotplate with pots and kettles and a huge chimney, a stack of wood, scrubbed wooden benches, a corn grinder and buckets of water. There was a food storehouse at the back, and a cooks quarters with a big door open to the sun, with a table and chairs and a sleeping loft. There was a huge beech tree beside the cookhouse and beyond was the large vegetable garden, which looked to be overgrown with weeds, with a well nearby. A rather scrappy apple orchard lay beyond the garden with chickens roosting in the trees.

Manoke looked at John and nodded. “This will be good. I can do your garden. Thank you John.” He smiled a big smile and took John’s hand. “You are a kind man. And you have chickens!!” Manoke laughed. “Manok is the word for chicken.”

John smirked.

“I’ll show you your room in the house,” said John turning back.

Manoke stood still, looking at the Englishman with an unreadable expression. “I would like to sleep outside. I like to see the stars, see the moon as it moves across the sky. Hear the animals rustling in the night.”

“But you will come to my bed?” asked John, touching his cheek.

John was a little puzzled. He was going to have to learn more about this man.

“Yes, John. I would like to lie with you in your soft English bed. Maybe you could come and lie under the stars with me again sometime? But I will take a journey soon. I want to see the woods and there are mountains there,” as he looked into the distance. “I want to find the Indian people who are here.”

John could understand the man’s wish to explore his new home. “Of course. You always have a home here.”

He smiled at Manoke. He wasn’t sure what sort of friendship they were embarking on. Certainly not master and servant. Not lovers in the devoted sense. John thought they would have to figure it out as they went.

“Come. Let us hope Tom has some good food for us.” The two men relaxed in the front parlour, as Tom brought them a pot of tea and freshly made little pies with meat and potato.

“These pies are very good Tom,” said John. “Have you been cooking these yourself?”

“No me lord. Hannah has helped me with those.”

“Ah. And how is Miss Burgess?”

“She is… she is quite well, thank you me lord. I’ll have your bath ready for you soon. ” And Tom quickly departed from the room.

“A bath?” said Manoke with a laugh.

“Yes. I would like to wash away the dirt from our journey,” said John giving Manoke a look. “Would you like one?”

“Not for me, thank you, I prefer to wash in the river. I’ll come up later and get you dirty and sweaty again!” laughed the Indian, beaming his big smile. Then Manoke stood up, stroked John gently on the shoulder and went outside to the cookhouse.

________________________________________________________________

John lay back in the bath, closed his eyes and felt the warmth relax his aching muscles. He let out a big sigh.

Tom gathered up his clothes from the floor and took them away for washing. He came back into the room with towels and fresh clothes in a big bundle in his arms.

“Tell me about Miss Burgess,” said John, soaping his feet and rubbing blissfully all around his toes. He was just guessing it was to do with her. But Tom seemed rather more agitated than usual, and he wanted to find out what was bothering him.

“Me lord.” Tom shifted from one foot to the other, looking anywhere but at John.

So. It was Miss Burgess then.

“A problem shared is a problem halved, Tom,” said John. He turned at looked directly at Tom, willing him to make eye contact.

Tom looked at him. “I want to ask her to marry me. I need to ask her.”

“Need to? Is she with child, Tom?”

“Me Lord!! How did you know that?” Tom looked shocked. Had Lord John figured out what they had been up to while he had been away? He had only been back a day! And he had taken great care to tidy up after their last tryst in the big guest bedroom…

John rolled his eyes. “So where exactly does Miss Burgess live?”

“With her mother and father in Lynchburg.”

“And are you going to go and ask her father for her hand?”

Tom shifted his feet again. “Well, me lord. I have very little to offer her.” He looked down at his feet.

Lord John got out of the bath and reached for the towel Tom handed out to him. He quickly dried himself and pulled on his nightshirt.

“Come,” he said holding out a hand to Tom and guiding him to the setee where they both sat down. John kept hold of his hand and looked at him. “Tom. You are the kindest, most honest, cheerful, loyal, hardworking and good hearted man I know. Any young lady would be delighted to have you as their husband, I’m sure of it. You can bring her here after the wedding and live together under my roof. You can have the baby here, if that is what you and Miss Burgess wish. There is so much space in this house.”

John paused thoughtfully. “Goodness me! A baby in the house! Manoke will help with the child, he has looked after children before, whereas I…well, I had no idea what to do when Willie was a little baby…” John chuckled. “Would that be what you might wish Tom? To have your family here in the house?”

“Oh me Lord! That is very generous. I would like to keep working for you, but the travel from here to Lynchburg each day would be difficult if I was to live in the town.”

“Do you love her Tom?”

“Yes, I do me lord. I am… very happy when I am with her.”

“Good. Why don’t you talk to her about my offer and let me know? Come to my study.”

They went down the stairs and John went to his writing desk and pulled out an envelope and handed it to Tom. “Some money for you Tom. A wedding gift. Buy her a ring. The wedding. Baby things. I think you’ll need it.”

Tom gasped. “Me Lord I can’t possibly accept money from you!”

“Yes you can. It’s a gift Tom. I wish you to have it,” said John with a look at Tom that showed he would have no argument. Then his face relaxed. ”Tom, you have been devoted to me all these years, you are almost like a brother to me.”

“Thank you me Lord” Tom smiled happily at him, blinking slightly watery eyes, finally feeling an easing of his anxiety from the last few weeks. “You are very kind to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies to all those John/Tom shippers out there!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More time at Mount Josiah

Chapter 3

Lord John was sitting at his writing desk the next morning with lots of paperwork to catch up on. The plantation grew tobacco and corn, and he needed to negotiate a price with the traders for the corn about to be harvested. Budgets were tight, as John was one of the few owners who paid wages to his workers.

He stopped and sniffed.

There was a smell of smoke wafting through the house. That was the last thing he needed right now was the house to be on fire, he thought crossly, as he got up and went to investigate. In the hallway of the house he could see the smoke, and it smelt faintly of herbs, not like burning timber at all.

It seemed to be coming from the back of the house so he walked quickly through and down the back steps. Manoke was there sitting on the ground dressed just in his breechcloth with a bowl in front of him. There were burning herbs wrapped into a tight ball in the bowl creating all the smoke. He was chanting quietly and fanning the smoke with a feather. With his other hand he was touching his eyes, ears and mouth as he swished the smoke towards him.

John sat down on the ground beside him, and waited for him to finish.

“What is this?’ he asked.

“I’m burning sage. It will purify the air around us.” Manoke had his eyes closed.

John felt quite happy sitting there beside the Indian, so he closed his eyes to protect them from the smoke and relaxed. After a while he opened them and saw Manoke smiling at him and swishing the smoke towards him with the feather. He gestured to John, and John rubbed the smoke over his head, eyes, mouth and ears.

“It will clean you. What you say, what you see, what you hear,” said Manoke.

John smiled. “Oh, I like this,” he said. He closed his eyes and thought how such a simple idea could be so calming. Manoke put more braided grass in the bowl and the two men sat quietly, letting the smoke waft around them. John relaxed. It could have been minutes or hours, he had no idea how long he sat there. But when it was finished, the sense of calm remained. He stood up with Manoke, smiled at him and leaned in to kiss him softly. “Thank you. This feels very good.”

Manoke smiled, his eyes crinkling fondly and stroked John’s shoulder.

Feeling refreshed, John went back to his study, ready to tackle his correspondence.

______________________________________________________

John sat in the little wooden church in Lynchburg, his mind wandering as he waited for the bride to arrive. He smiled at Tom sitting nervously beside him, continually checking his pocket and the shape of the ring inside. Tom was dressed in a new dark blue velvet suit with lace cuffs, his face rather flushed. John had actually helped him dress for a change, which John had been most honoured to do, tenderly doing up buttons and adjusting his stock. Tom had borrowed John’s best silk stock and silver buckles for his shoes. He looked beautiful, John thought with a smile, hoping his bride would feel the same.

John never really spent much time in church for obvious reasons. It’s harsh, judgemental attitudes to men like himself galled him. However, he sat there with his usual mask face on as the little organ played. He always seemed to be at other people’s weddings. His own marriage to Isobel had been a quiet affair, but he really only married her so Willie could have a mother. He smiled to himself. Isobel was a loving mother and he was forever grateful to her for the time they had as a family, just the three of them. Would there ever come a day when two men could be married? His mind drifted off to Jamie Fraser… But no. He shut that thought down, and fortunately they all stood as Hannah arrived at the church door.

The ceremony was simple and the young couple looked flushed and happy. Hannah’s dress was simple but the layers of fabric around her tummy did a good job of disguising her condition.

The small wedding party went to Hannah’s parent’s house for refreshments where John was introduced to Mr and Mrs Burgess, and reassured them he would keep an eye out for the welfare of the young couple. He could see they would miss their daughter, but there was a large brood of younger children in the house, so the family would have little time to miss her too much.

After the refreshments, Tom and his new bride rode back with John in the small open carriage to Mount Josiah.

Manoke was there, having prepared a meal for them all.

After dinner, John felt he needed to leave the young couple alone for a while, even though they had their own space upstairs in the servants quarters. So he wandered outside to the cookhouse. There was a huge pile of pumpkins there which Manoke must have found in the garden, part of which was weeded. Manoke was sitting there with a pipe, smoking it. He passed it to John who took a small puff, coughing on the sharp tobacco as it caught his throat. Manoke chuckled.

“I think I will go off for a journey tomorrow,” he said, looking at the mountains in the distance.

John nodded.” Where will you go? Do you need a horse?”

“Over there. I will just walk.”

Manoke reached out and touched John’s hand. “I will be back soon.”

John smiled at him. “Good. I will miss you.”

“John. I am part of this world. The woods, the rivers, the animals, the wind, the moon. All of it. I need to make my connections with it in this new place.”

John nodded and smiled. “Of course. I do want you to have freedom here. I don’t expect you to change your ways. But I will rejoice to see you when you return.” John looked into Manoke’s eyes with fondness. “Can I sleep under the stars with you tonight?”

Manoke smiled, the edges of his brown eyes forming soft lines and nodded. He reached up to stroke John’s face, and his hands moved across Johns shoulders, pulling him closer. ”Come,” he said jerking his head. He led John to a secluded spot just on the far side of the beech tree, and nestled amongst some grape vines was a bed with striped blankets laid out on the ground. Manoke stripped easily, as he was just wearing moccasins, breeches and a blanket which he threw on the ground. Johns wedding suit took a lot longer to disassemble- boots, stockings, jacket, stock, shirt, breeches and small clothes. Manoke was laughing by the time they got it all off, and tossed it carelessly in the bushes. John had the tiniest moment of thought about what Tom would say…but Tom would have other things on his mind.

Manoke took John’s hand and said “Look,” as he brought out a tin of grease. John smiled. “Oh yes!” Just like their time back in Quebec, Manoke used the minty grease to massage John all over. His hands were firm, gliding over John’s skin, his sensuous touch easing all the knots in John’s muscles. His whole body - arms, legs, back, neck, torso and of course finally his cock were lovingly stroked, caressed, soothed and rubbed. John was happily relaxed and deliciously aroused all at the same time. John returned the favour, loving the feel of Manoke’s skin under his hands, the grease creating a silky glide. He pampered Manoke’s skin, using smooth strokes, then kneading his flesh, fingers swirling lavishly over his nipples and cock, and finishing with a warming circular rhythm with his palms all around Manoke’s buttocks. Then their bodies touched and began to slide , the grease allowing their whole bodies to slickly move and writhe over each other, mouths kissing long and deep, cocks hard and glistening with grease, the two men now easily familiar with each others bodies and desires.

After they made love under the stars, John turned to Manoke and wrapped his arms around him and looked up at the night sky. There were just a few clouds slowly moving across the sky. “Please take care on your journey,” said John. “I am going on a journey too. My son. I need to go and collect him.”

“Your son? William? You have missed him I think.”

“I have indeed. I think he will be very curious to learn of your ways. He always asks questions Manoke, so prepare yourself,” said John.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William Comes back to Mt Josiah. Tom and Hannah Byrd are expecting their first baby. Manoke intoduces some more Native American traditions

Chapter 4

Hannah Byrd seemed to be getting larger by the day. She would probably give birth sometime in the next few weeks, which made John rather uneasy and out of his depth. He had attended a birth before, when he and Percy delivered little Cromwell, but he really had no idea what he was doing then, and felt he would be completely useless this time. He thought wistfully of Percy for a moment and then shook his head to clear it.

Hannah’s mother was due to come and stay for the foreseeable future, and he had purchased everything he could think of. Babies bath, basket, crib, nappies, pins, towels. He shook his head in disbelief as he looked at the pile of stuff. He looked at William standing beside him, who also looked bewildered.

In addition, Manoke had gone off on another one of his journeys, which made the cooking chores more arduous. He rose early to attend to the fire in the cookhouse and needed Tom’s help to put the meals together. There was laundry to be done, dishes to do and cleaning of the house. John had really done no domestic chores in his life, however he was a well organised person, thanks to his time in the army. He seemed to fall into bed exhausted every night and the baby wasn’t even here yet. At this rate he was going to have to ask one of the plantation workers to help or hire more staff.

He sighed as he saw the carriage come up the drive with Mrs Burgess. Christ, he hoped she was going to be useful.

However, he smiled graciously and held out his hand to assist the lady out of her carriage.

“Lord John,” she said, smiling. She had a rather worn but pleasant face with dark hair swept back into a simple knot.

“Mrs Burgess,” and he gave a small bow. Tom came running to out to greet her also and took her luggage up.

After she had been given refreshments, she went upstairs to see her daughter. John and Tom looked at each other. Tom shrugged his shoulders. John snorted with laughter. “Christ Tom. Do you think she’ll notice the chaos?” Tom smiled and said “Probably, me lord!”.

Tom and John were tidying up the parlour when Mrs Burgess swept down the stairs and said,  
‘Show me the cookhouse,” with a determined look on her face.

John led her there. “I hear you cook has wandered off,” she said dryly. John nodded slowly.

“Right. I shall prepare tonight’s dinner – is that your food store there? Good.” She looked at John. “I have brought up five children with no servants you know. I am here to help” She smiled at John who let out a big breath of relief.

“Thank you. I am exceedingly grateful to you.” He had actually found a new respect for the women and servants who ran a household. He had never really had his own household to see how everything worked, and it all seemed to work seamlessly at Minnie’s and his mother’s house. Also Isobel had seemed to have everything under control. But having his own place now with no wife and few servants, it had all become highly visible. The thought of Mrs Burgess doing it all -cooking, cleaning, laundry, sewing, getting supplies, building fires, fetching water, with five children beggared belief.

Normality returned for a brief time. John had a lot of correspondence to catch up on, as the Black Chamber always had mail and documents for him. The British foothold in America was being challenged from many quarters. John analysed intercepted correspondence and sent reports back to London.

_John could feel Jamie Frasers naked body sitting in his lap, warm skin flush with warm skin. They seemed weightless, as though they were floating in water. He was kissing Jamie’s smooth back. One of his hands was on Jamie’s thick, hard, leaking cock and he was inside Jamie, hot, tight, moving together, buoyant, thrusting, moaning and crying out as he..…. Oh Christ….._ John was awoken to the most godawful, guttural moan coming from upstairs. He lay there for a moment remembering where he was, sticky sheets in a pickle, muddled from the erotic dream, and why such a noise could be happening. Then he remembered. Oh God, the baby.

He rode fast into Lynchburg to fetch the midwife, helped by a full moon to see the road, and brought her back.

Once he had taken the midwife upstairs, having no better idea, he went to the cookhouse and boiled all the kettles he could find. Towels and hot water seemed to be what was being asked for, but in truth he wanted to get away from Hannah’s awful groaning and yelling. They were getting closer together, so he knew that meant things were progressing. William wandered into the cookhouse in his banyan, yawning, and sat there looking at the fire. “Papa, I had no idea it was so warm in here. I never used to come in here before. I was always over at the tobacco sheds.”

“You could come here and spend time with Manoke. He could teach you how to cook. Might be useful one day,” said John.

Tom ran in for another kettle of water and ran out again before John could ask anything.

The dawn light was just coming up in the eastern sky when he heard a rustling outside.

He looked out and there was Manoke and another Indian carrying a huge deer carcass which they dumped on the ground outside. He smiled at John.  
“Good trip?” asked John.

“Yes, thank you. This is my friend, Nitis.”

“And this is my son William.” John reached out to shake the newcomers hand when a straining yell came from the house.

Manoke met John’s eyes. “The baby?”

John nodded “It’s been going on all night.”

“Come. Let’s strip this deer carcass.” Manoke reached out to William to guide him over. John saw Nitis also had a pile of deerskin pelts which he dumped on the ground.

The four men sat in the early morning light attending kettles and stripping the deer of it’s skin, and started to butcher the meat for cooking and hanging. It was a large carcass and would feed the household for weeks. The older men showed William what to do, how to use the knife properly and what directions to cut. The rhythm of the work was good for John, who didn’t like sitting around waiting for things to happen.

Once the meat was hung in the food storehouse, Manoke went to his room and came out with a handful of threads, twigs and fibres. He sat down outside and started stripping the fibre with his hands to create more fine threads. He then established a small circular loop with the twig and then started weaving criss cross threads. William went over to him and sat down to watch. “What is that?” he asked.

“I am making a spiderweb for the baby.”

“A spiderweb?”

Manoke smiled at William. “It is for the baby, to hang over his bed. The spiderweb will catch any bad dreams.”

William laughed with delight. ”That is such a good idea! Can I make one? For me? I have bad dreams sometimes.”

“Of course!” Manoke smiled at the boy, went back into his room and brought out some more fibres.

John was sitting on the steps listening to this. His heart skipped a beat. He could guess the nature of Williams bad dreams, having lost two mothers. It made him doubt himself, if he was enough of a parent for the boy. William also had no siblings, and John knew the bond he had with Hal was like no other. Perhaps there were some boys his own age in Lynchburg. And he would make sure William saw his cousins regularly. But watching them now, he saw Manoke had a special way with him. He understood from talking with Manoke, that men like him often undertook child raising duties in his tribe. And William seemed fascinated by all the things Manoke had to show him. So he smiled to himself, and kept watching as Manoke showed William how to weave the threads into a web pattern inside the loop, and Manoke had a few feathers to work into it. They looked rather beautiful by the time they had finished.

Suddenly the moans were replaced by the cry of a baby. John went into the house to find his bottle of brandy. He poured it out into glasses and turned as Tom came running down the stairs. “It’s a boy me Lord, they’re both quite well!” Tom looked rather haggard and John pushed a glass into his hand.

“Congratulations to you and Hannah my dear,” said John and they clinked glasses.

After giving the two Indians some brandy, John went upstairs, and went into Tom and Hannah’s room quietly. He passed a glass of brandy to Mrs Burgess, who smiled and sank back into her chair. She looked nearly as exhausted as her daughter. Another glass for the midwife who was just cleaning up, preparing to leave. Hannah sat up in bed, her dark hair damp and messy about her pale face, but she smiled at John and showed him the little baby in her arms. He was asleep, with damp hair over his head and a rather scrunched up red face. John placed a brandy on Hannah’s bedside table. He smiled at her,” I think you’ve earned it my dear.” He pulled up a stool.

“He’s a lovely little chap,” said John reaching out and stroking his head. “Have you thought of a name?”

Tom had just come in and came over to sit on the bed. “Yes. We have. Edward John Byrd. Edward is Hannah’s grandfather. And John… well.. it’s you me lord, I’d probably still be in the gutter in London if it wasn’t for you me lord.”

“I am truly honoured Tom. Thank you.” He kept stroking the baby gently, smiling to himself. “Manoke has a gift for the baby. I’ll bring him up. “

John skipped down the stairs to fetch him.

Manoke came softly into the room with his gift, and handed it to Hannah. “It is a spiderweb to hang over his crib. It will catch anything bad, such as bad dreams happening to the baby when he sleeps, and lets good dreams through the holes. The sun will cleanse the web in the morning.” Manoke touched the baby’s head and murmured some words in his own tongue.

Hannah smiled at Manoke, a little overcome by the kindness. “Thank you. That is the most lovely gift,” as she held the little web gently in her hands admiring the weaving. Tom started to attach a loop over the crib to hang the web, and they all looked at it, smiling, ready for the baby to be put in for sleep.

John left them to rest, and went down the stairs, and on instinct, went to Williams room. William was hanging up his spiderweb, hanging it from the ceiling with a long thread. “Do you think it will work, Papa?”

“I think that is quite possible,” he said smiling, sitting on the bed. “William, what are the bad dreams you are having?”

William sat down on the bed. “It’s only sometimes, Papa. It’s mother Isobel. I still miss her.” He twisted his mouth, making sure he didn’t cry.

“I still miss her too. Our little family of three. She loved you very much you know. Maybe just think of the nice times you had with her. Then your dreams of her will be happy ones. I think she would like you to have happy memories of her.”

William scooted over to John, and John wrapped his arms around him and kissed the top of his head. “And don’t forget, I love you too. More than anything.”

John went out to the back of the house straight after breakfast as he usually did and sat outside with Manoke and Nitis. They were sharing a pipe, so John joined them puffing cautiously at it, looking out quietly towards the trees.

There was a pile of saplings and rocks on the ground over at the edge of the lawn where the woods began. “What’s that?” asked John.

“Wait and see,” said Manoke. “Nitis is helping me to make a sweat house.”

John sat there thinking. He was always asking Manoke things, so this time he thought he really would wait and see. So he just nodded. He looked at Nitis, wondering if he was Manoke’s lover. Funnily enough, he didn’t feel jealous at all. They both gave each other a lot of space. He exhaled a slow stream of smoke and handed the pipe back.

With a sigh, he went back into the house and found Hannah with the baby, and she looked up. “Lord John, could you hold the baby a moment while I pop upstairs?”

“Of course,” said John, as he held out his arms to take the baby. Little Edward was asleep and John looked down at his face and smiled. He bent to kiss the baby gently on the forehead. The baby stirred, so John held the baby up closer to his chest just under his chin. He started humming very softly, and walked about the room with a slow rhythm. He had barely held Willie as a baby, so cradling a tiny baby in his arms was a special gift he wanted to cherish.

Tom came in and said “I can take him me Lord.”

“No. He’s fine. I am quite happy cradling him here.’ John smiled at Tom. Tom nodded.

From then on John seemed to have quite a lot of ‘calming the baby’ duty. He would happily scoop him into his arms and walk around the house and out into the garden singing softly to the child. Unfortunately John only knew bawdy soldiers songs, so he mostly made the words up. And little Edward responded, his cries slowing and his eyes drooping as he was eased by John’s rhythm.

**Author's Note:**

> A couple of things  
> DG mentions the town of Gareon in Custom, but I can't find it on a modern map. Maybe it was just a military town at the time?  
> **I am not from North America, so my knowledge of Native American /First Nation peoples is quite limited, so this was difficult to write. If I have been culturally insensitive, disrespectful or ignorant in any way, I apologise in advance and would welcome becoming better informed. In a nice way.. Thanks


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